JVM ups the ante

Babulal Marandi at the news meet in Ranchi on Monday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, March 25: JVM president Babulal Marandi has iterated his demand for dissolving the Assembly, this time setting a deadline of April 30, failing which he even threatened to launch an agitation.

“The JVM always does what it says. We have repeatedly demanded that the Assembly be dissolved immediately. We are ready to wait for another month. If the Assembly isn’t dissolved before that, we will hold a meeting in Hazaribagh on May 4 or 5 and finalise our next move,” he told newspersons today.

Marandi accused the Congress of running the government in the name of President’s Rule, adding that both BJP and JMM were hand in glove with it.

“Union finance minister P. Chidambaram announced in the Parliament that fresh Assembly polls would be held very soon in Jharkhand. But at a review meeting in Raj Bhavan last week, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said that the next meeting would be held after three months. This proves that the Centre’s real intentions are questionable,” he said.

Marandi argued that since no party or alliance had a clear majority in the Assembly and President’s Rule was a stopgap measure, the Centre should focus on fresh elections.

The JVM chief denied his sudden ultimatum had anything to do with the impressive turnout at an Ajsu rally yesterday.

“All political parties are free to go ahead with their campaigns and organise meetings. My best wishes are with Sudesh Mahto. But, the JVM is preparing to contest all Vidhan Sabha seats. We do not have an alliance with the Congress any more,” he said.

Elaborating on his future moves, Marandi said that the JVM had so far held party conventions in 76 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, the last one today at Mandar.

“Meetings will be held in the remaining eight Assembly constituencies by next month,” he added.